Which consonants are produced with vibrating the vocal cords?

• A. Voiceless consonants
• B. Voiced consonants
• C. Nasal consonants
• D. Glottal stops

Answer: (B)

Voicing is about whether the vocal cords vibrate when a consonant is produced. When the cords vibrate, the sound is voiced; when they don’t, the sound is voiceless. This vibrating quality distinguishes sounds like b, d, g, v, z (and many nasal sounds such as m, n) from sounds like p, t, k, s, f, which are produced without vocal cord vibration. The question is asking which consonants involve that vocal fold vibration, so the best pick is the group that uses voice—the voiced consonants. Nasal or glottal-stop categories describe other aspects of articulation, but the defining feature here is whether the vocal cords vibrate to create voice.